Warner Bros. and Paramount Competing to Develop SPLINTER CELL Movie

Warner Bros. and Paramount are competing for the rights to developing a film based off the popular video game series Splinter Cell. According to Deadline, the studios are in talks with video game developer Ubisoft, which means that the movie will be based off the games rather than the Tom Clancy novels that inspired the series. Paramount is reportedly the frontrunner to acquire the property, which follow the adventures of covert operative Sam Fisher and his cool night vision goggles. There have been six games thus far with the seventh in the series, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, having recently been revealed at this year’s E3. Because video game adaptations tend to be terrible, Ubisoft is determined to have more control over the property (they’re also taking the same approach with the adaptation of Assassin’s Creed). At least they learned a lesson from Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

If Paramount picks up Splinter Cell, they will be even deeper in the Tom Clancy business. The studio is still trying to develop a reboot of the Jack Ryan franchise with Chris Pine as the new handsome-desk-jockey-hero with Kenneth Branagh set to direct. Paramount is also developing an adaptation of the spinoff novel Without Remorse, which features the far more interesting character John Clark (previously played by Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber). Hit the jump to see the trailer for Splinter Cell: Blacklist.